"VF offers the prospect of strawberry fields forever"
Added on 02 May 2023
After dealing with bouts of severe weather, a farmer in B.C.'s Fraser Valley says he and his family are looking at vertical farming to grow strawberries.
Recent years have seen a heat dome and flooding, says Amir Maan of Maan Farms in Abbotsford, B.C. That's had an impact on crops.
"We're growing 25, almost 30 acres of strawberries outdoors, but we're only harvesting 10 acres' worth because of all the loss," he said.
Those losses led to discussions with his father about the future of the family farm.
Last year, Maan's family invested in a vertical greenhouse to shift 10 acres of strawberries — an area the size of almost eight football fields — indoors.
"Weather is the one thing that you can't control, and as a farmer, being able to control it with the greenhouse indoors is the closest thing you can do to make sure you have a reliable crop for your community," Maan said.
Photo: Amir Maan's family invested in a vertical greenhouse to shift 10 acres of strawberries indoors. ( Credit: Amir Maan)
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